by TL Reeve
This is stupid. There’s nothing wrong.
He put his key in the lock at the same moment Omar jerked the door open. The man’s gaze was twisted by rage, fear, and guilt. His blue eyes had darkened to cobalt. The tension in his bulky frame belied his expressionless features. Duncan studied him closer. Green tinged the line of his jaw, and his face was a bit pale—clammy too. He was good at hiding things, but not at the moment.
Duncan pushed into the apartment. Bella sat on the couch. Her face was ashen and her eyes red rimmed from crying. When he left, she’d been relaxed and happy.
“What happened?” Duncan winced at his harsh tone.
Bella jerked. “It’s Enzo.”
Omar’s stomach gurgled, and the man grimaced before running to the bathroom. Duncan tilted his head. He didn’t know if he should be checking on Omar or asking Bella to give him the run down on Enzo. He stood there for a second, confused by the situation before going to the couch to sit beside Bella.
“What’s wrong with Omar?” he hedged.
“I think he has food poisoning.” She shrugged. “He came running into the apartment after you left, and he’s been in and out of the bathroom ever since.”
Fuck. “Not a problem, I have some stuff here. What happened to Enzo?” The knot in his stomach cinched up again.
Bella lifted her scared, sorrow-filled brown eyes to his gaze. Tears spilled from the corners, running down her cheeks. “He’s gone. Didn’t you check your phone? Omar called you several times.”
Gut punched, Duncan sat there. He’d turned off his phone, feeling safe in the assumption nothing would happen. They were with Mistress Trixie, after all, and the place’s security was tighter than Fort Knox. “What do you mean gone?”
“When Omar rushed in, Enzo told Omar he was going to lay down because he was tired.” She swiped away the tears and shook her head. “He wasn’t tired. He has ADHD. He doesn’t tell many people, but he can’t sit still for long, and this morning...” She shrugged. “He left. I thought he was going to walk the hall or whatever.”
Duncan’s stomach dropped. Enzo was gone. He frowned. Wait, how did he get out? “You’re sure?”
She nodded. “Yes. Omar called Paul and then he started calling you.” She pointed to the phone, the same one he told them would get them only to the front office. “Paul said he hadn’t seen Enzo either. Where else could he go?”
Duncan raked his fingers through his hair, pissed at himself for letting his guard down. The one time he took a second for himself away from everyone, including the job, a person he cared about was taken. I’m so fucking stupid. “First things first. Do you know if Omar called Asher?”
She shook her head. “No. Like I said, he’s sick.”
Protocol would have dictated Omar call for backup. Duncan pulled his phone from his pocket and turned it on. Sure enough, there were several phone calls from Omar and one from Paul. His grip tightened. “I’ll call Asher.” He scrolled through the phone and stopped on the leader of R.O.O.T.’s number. Hitting send, Duncan began to pace.
“Asher’s phone, what do you need, Duncan?” Callahan asked.
“I need Asher now. It’s an emergency.” There was rustling of paper in the background.
“On it. What kind of emergency?”
“Enzo is gone.” The elevator would only take them to the parking garage and the main floor. The parking garage. Shit. He could get anywhere from there. He could walk right out of the compound, and no one would know he wasn’t supposed to leave, especially if he was sneaky about it.
“How the fuck?” The slap of Callahan’s words stung.
“It’s my fault. I needed air, and Omar has food poisoning.”
“Shit.” Callahan sighed. “Here’s Asher.”
“What’s the deal?” Asher asked.
Duncan went over what happened once more. “I didn’t know Omar was sick. If I had, I would’ve called for a replacement before I left.” He scrubbed his forehead.
“I’ll get you someone to help out,” Asher replied. “In the meantime, secure the scene and see what you can find through that fancy security Club X has. Call me when you have more info.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I’m not done chewing your ass out for leaving your phone off. That’s a rookie fucking mistake!” Asher blew out a breath. “Now you’re down a man, and Enzo is missing. What are you going to do if Enzo is dead?”
“I don’t fucking know!” His stomach pitched. “Goddammit, Asher. Do you think I don’t understand how much I fucked up this morning? Do you think I’m not pissed at myself?” His heart pounded. His mind was all over the place. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t concentrate. Everything inside of him said to give chase, but where did he start? Where the fuck would Enzo go?
“Hang tight. I’ll have someone on the way to soon. I need you to keep updating me while you’re in this lull,” Asher said, some of the heat gone from his voice. “Understand?”
Duncan nodded. “Yeah, I hear you. I’m on it.” He ended the call and shoved his phone back into his pocket. He wanted to scream and yell, maybe break shit just to get the growing knot of frustration to snap. Instead, he steadied himself with the stupid breathing exercise Thomas taught him.
When his mind slowed and he gathered his wits, he glanced at the closed bathroom door. First things first. He had to get Omar fixed up. They’d never get anything done if the guy spent hours in the bathroom sicker than a fucking dog. When the door to the bathroom opened, he pinned Omar with a glare and pointed to where the man just exited. “There are meds in the cabinet, take them.” Since his migraines and meds could throw his system into a tailspin sometimes, he was used to an upset stomach. It was better for him to have the stuff to help him out on hand than try to run to the store in the midst of a migraine.
“Sorry,” Omar muttered. “Never eating there again.”
“Shit happens,” Duncan said, then groaned at his pun. “Once you’ve taken them, I have someone I want you to go see.”
Omar nodded. “Roger that.”
Duncan turned his attention back to Bella. “Did Enzo say anything before he left?”
She shook her head. “He does this sometimes. Gets up and leaves.”
“Was he upset about earlier?” Sometimes Duncan could be an asshole, but when it came to aftercare and paying attention to his subs, no. He took care of them. He’d like to think he could judge someone’s state of mind well enough to know if something was wrong. Unfortunately, he hadn’t done a good enough job with Enzo earlier.
“No,” she whispered. “I’ve never seen him happier to be honest. We both are.” The blush spreading across her cheeks unfurled the knot in his stomach a bit. “But, he’s concerned.”
“About what happens after this?” Duncan ran his fingers through his hair. What came next was simple—they’d all go their separate ways. Enzo and Bella would end up in witness protection with new names and new lives, and Duncan would continue being a lackey for the FBI.
“I think so.” She wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“You’re worried about the same thing.” He tipped her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze.
“A little.”
Fuck. He brushed his lips over hers. “Stay in the here and now. We have to find Enzo. Dwelling only ends up hurting you.”
The bathroom door opened, and Omar stepped out. “Thanks. I wish I’d known about the meds an hour ago.”
Duncan chuckled softly. “When you suffer from migraines, you keep all the good shit just in case.” He went to the desk behind the couch and grabbed the pad of paper. “There’s a medic station here in the building.” He wrote down the directions. “Give this to Noelle. She should be the one on duty. She’ll get you rehydrated and feeling good. When you’re done, meet me back here.”
Omar took the paper from him. “A garden?”
Duncan shrugged. “It’s relaxing, or so I’m told.”
“Whatever.” Omar started for the door.
“I’m sorry, Duncan. I messed up everything.”
Duncan waved him off. “Don’t. You got sick. Wasn’t like you planned on having an intestinal blow out.”
“True.” Omar nodded. “I’ll be back.”
“Take your time. Let the meds and IV work. If she keeps you longer, tell her to call me.”
Omar grunted. “Roger that.”
“Noelle?” Bella cocked a brow.
“She’s a registered nurse at Medstar Georgetown. She’s also a sub here at the club. You’d like her, I think.” He leaned in. “Her sister is a Domme.”
Bella gasped.
He pushed off the couch. “I have to make a few calls.” The longer he sat there, the more he worried about Enzo, even though he maintained a calm expression. Apprehension warred with guilt. He tried to keep everything bottled inside of himself, because he didn’t want to frighten Bella. Yet, the longer he sat there, despair wriggled through him, setting him on edge. He couldn’t fall apart now. Later, after everything was over and they had Enzo back, then he could fall apart and allow the darkness to consume him. They would rescue Enzo, no matter what. Duncan grabbed his phone and called Thomas. He figured Asher would be on the line to Thomas sooner rather than later, but if Duncan didn’t call, Thomas would have his ass too.
“Kaine,” Thomas said when he answered on the second ring. His voice was harried, and he sounded out of breath.
“It’s Duncan.”
“I was going to call you to check in with you.” Thomas blew out a breath. “We have a situation.”
Duncan’s stomach flopped. “So do we.”
“Bex is missing.”
“Shit! Enzo is missing.” Duncan’s grip of the phone tightened until popping under the pressure. “Didn’t Asher tell you?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Thomas’s voice cracked across Duncan’s senses. “No, I haven’t been here long.”
“Omar has food poisoning, and Enzo used it as a way to get out.” Duncan began to pace. “I’ve sent Omar to the nurse here at the club, and I’m going to start investigating how Enzo got out of here.”
“You said they’d be safe there.” Anger laced his partner’s voice.
“I thought they would be.” Duncan paused. “This is fecking ridiculous. What happened to Bex?”
Thomas blew out a breath. “Alé brought her to the base and tried to tell her the truth. Kid has a conscience and couldn’t stand lying to her anymore. It backfired.”
No shit it did. “So, the only one safe is Bella.” He glanced over at the woman who’d filled his mind with impure thoughts. “Could anything else go wrong?”
“Don’t start,” Thomas grumbled. “Not like enough hasn’t happened already.”
Duncan gave a sardonic laugh. “True. I’ll get you more info when I have it.”
“Same. Tell Omar I hope he feels better.”
“I will.” Duncan hung up with Thomas then went to the phone in the room. He dialed for Paul and waited. When the man answered, Duncan explained the situation. “I need to see the video feed from all the security cameras. Enzo didn’t just disappear.”
“I’m already on it,” Paul answered. “Omar gave us a description when he called it in. How long ago, do you believe?”
“An hour, maybe two,” he said. “I appreciate this, Paul.”
“I’ll have an answer shortly,” Paul said. “You know I have to tell Mistress Trixie.”
Duncan frowned. “I understand. If it makes any difference, I don’t believe anyone here is in danger. From what I gathered, Enzo went for a walk. Until we know differently, I have to assume he’ll come back.”
“But you’re worried,” Paul replied.
“Very.”
The man grunted. “I’ll be in touch.”
Duncan went back to the couch and gathered Bella into his arms, placing her on his lap. All he’d wanted to do was clear his mind. The night before had been overwhelming, and having it continue at breakfast, shit, those feelings left him scattered. He couldn’t separate the agent from the Dom. As an agent he was focused on protecting them until Raul could go to court. The Dom however wanted both Enzo and Bella. The Dom wanted to keep them. Duncan wanted a bit of happiness in a fucked up world of his own creation.
Getting air and driving had done nothing for him. If anything, it made the jumble of emotions worse. It also gave Enzo time to get away. What the fuck had he been thinking? Neither Enzo nor Bella were safe. They wouldn’t be in the clear until Raul was put in prison, and even then, there would still be someone out there gunning for them. Raul would see to it. It was why he’d set them up for Witness Protection when Enzo said they’d help. After everything was said and done, becoming someone else would be the only way they’d survive.
He nuzzled Bella’s neck, breathing in her sweet scent mixed with his bodywash. No matter how many times he told himself giving them up was the right decision, he didn’t think he could. The idea of letting her or Enzo go soured his stomach, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He had to.
A knock came at the door before it opened, and Omar appeared. He looked better. The green tinge in his jaw was gone, and his coloring was coming back. Duncan glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. Bella had been so relaxed in his embrace. He hated moving her, especially since she’d been worried about Enzo. He eased her back onto the couch then stood. She stared at him before drawing her knees to her chest.
“How do you feel?” He joined Omar at the table.
“Better. I swear, I won’t be eating there again.” He laid his hand against his stomach. “I felt like my insides were outside for a second or ten.”
“I bet.” Duncan snorted. “Look, you should know, Bex is missing too. She was at the base when she pulled the same stunt as Enzo. I have Paul checking the security feed, and I called Thomas.”
Omar sat up a little straighter. “What?”
“Bex found out the truth. She took off, and the car she was in has been found crashed into a ditch. She’s missing.”
Omar paled, and for a second, Duncan thought the big man was going to race back to the bathroom. “Do you think it was coordinated?”
“No. It sounds like both left of their own volition. Not like Raul could get his men in the club or the base to steal Bex and Enzo. Security here is tight, or I thought it was. The base is hidden. No way in hell Raul could step on the property without Asher knowing.” Duncan drummed his thumb on the table. “Although both were waiting, it seems. Maybe they’ve been watching us the whole time?”
“You mean, they’ve had eyes on us since the beginning?”
Duncan nodded. “That would be my guess. Bex has probably had a shadow who didn’t make themselves known. Enzo, though...shit, man. If anyone got caught skulking around here...” He sighed. “Security would’ve known about it.”
“Guess it just depends how far Enzo got before he was taken. Besides, we don’t know if he’s really gone. He could have left for a walk, stepped out of the compound, and been picked up without even realizing what he’d done.” Omar glanced at the couch. “How are you hanging in there, Bella?”
“As well as can be expected, I guess.” She shrugged. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were sick sooner.”
Omar waved her off. “You’ve got a lot of shit on your plate. I’m the least of your worries.”
The phone to Duncan’s apartment rang, and Duncan went to answer it. “Paul?”
“I’ve got the video for you. You’re not going to like it.”
No, he supposed he wouldn’t. “I’ll meet you at security.”
“We’ll be here.”
Duncan hung up the phone. “Stay here with Bella. I’ll be back shortly. If you start feeling sick again, take another pill and hold your shit together.”
Omar laughed. “I don’t think I have any more shit to hold together.
Duncan snorted. “I’ll be back.”
He made his way to the security room where Paul was. His thoughts were all ov
er the place. If they’d been followed, nowhere he took Bella or Enzo would’ve been safe. The only reason why they’d been there without incident until then was due to the security. Plus, add in the clientele of Club X and someone would have to be fecking stupid coming there to start shit. No, they’d wait until Bella or Enzo was alone.
He knocked at the door to the security office then stepped inside. Paul stood next to their security supervisor while the man stared at the screens. The video of Enzo being taken played on a loop over and over again. Duncan watched in slow motion as Enzo stepped outside the gated compound, walked down the sidewalk, then crossed the street. He wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings. Didn’t see the black van sitting halfway down the block. Didn’t see the two men peel off from the shop front and follow after him. Duncan felt the strike from the asp across the back of Enzo’s head. The blacked out van whipped around and stopped in front of where the two men stood, and Enzo lay on the ground.
“Fuck, he’s here,” Duncan muttered. “Do you have this downloaded to a thumb drive for me?” The voicemail Enzo left him made sense now.
The guy nodded. “Yeah, I have everything there for you. He exited through the parking garage. It’s the only way he could get out. If he’d left through the front door, Paul would have stopped him or called me.”
Duncan nodded. “Yeah, I know. Sorry to put all of you through this shit.”
The guy waved him off. “It happens.”
“I need to make some calls.” Duncan started for the door. “Thank you, Paul. Please let Mistress Trixie know I’ll speak with her when it’s possible.”
Paul inclined his chin. “Of course, Master Duncan.”
When Duncan returned to the room, Omar had a small bottle of Pedialyte in front of him and a pack of crackers. Where he got them from, Duncan didn’t know. The man popped one of the salty squares into his mouth and sighed.
He held the thumb drive up at Omar. “I have the info.”
